The sparsity of mid-to-late stage prospects in atopic dermatitis (AD, or eczema) – which has proved an especially challenging indication – plus some newsmaking fizzles in the space have caused developers to probe new targets with particular intensity. Most popular approaches thus far involve IL-4, IL-13, thymic stromal lymphopoietin and JAK. Developers have stumbled for varying reasons such as high placebo response rates, safety or lack of clinical proof of concept. Among the potential AD rescuers is Nektar Therapeutics Inc. with rezpegaldesleukin (rezpeg), which takes aim at IL-2.
Researchers from Elpiscience Biopharmaceuticals Inc. discussed the discovery and preclinical characterization of a novel NKG2A antibody-IL-2 mutant fusion protein – ES-015.129 – being developed as cancer immunotherapy.
At the recent SITC meeting in Houston, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. reported preclinical data for the fusion protein TEV-56278, which is in phase I development.
At the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) meeting that ended yesterday in Houston, Dragonfly Therapeutics Inc. reported the first preclinical data on DF-6215, an alpha-active IL-2-Fc, for cancer immunotherapy.
Researchers from Mustbio Co. Ltd. and Chung-Ang University have presented the discovery and preclinical characterization of MB-2033, a novel bispecific fusion protein being developed for the treatment of cancer.
CLN-617 is a single-chain fusion protein comprising human IL-2, human IL-12, leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 2 (LAIR2) and human serum albumin (HSA). It was designed for intratumoral injection to co-deliver IL-2 and IL-12 on a single molecule, with HSA and LAIR2 being used to retain CLN-617 in the tumor by binding collagen and increasing molecular weight.
Xilio Therapeutics Inc. retreated with its lead oncology IL-2 drug, XTX-202, after phase II data indicated stable disease was the best response, prompting the company to reprioritize its pipeline and cut its workforce by 21% – but investors focused more on a $647.5 million IL-12 program deal the company signed with Gilead Sciences Inc., as well as an $11.3 million private placement financing.
Roughly 35 years after early patient data suggested the potential of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in cancer, Iovance Biotherapeutics Inc. received U.S. FDA approval for lifileucel, marking both the first autologous TIL cell therapy for commercial use and the first one-time cell therapy for a solid tumor cancer. Branded Amtagvi, lifileucel is cleared for use in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1 blocking antibody, and if BRAF V600 mutation-positive, a BRAF inhibitor with or without a MEK inhibitor
A year after Alkermes plc announced it would divide its oncology and neuroscience efforts into two separate businesses, the Dublin-based company spun out Mural Oncology plc with $275 million in funding and the lead solid tumor candidate nemvaleukin alfa. Shares of Mural (NASDAQ:MURA) will begin trading Nov. 16. “We’re very excited,” Mural’s CEO Caroline Loew told BioWorld. “We’ve got two major clinical datapoints in the next 18 months.”
